Curry three ways

Tomato curry base

Using a saucepan or pot, heat your butter and olive oil.

Chop your onion and add it to your saucepan.

Sauté for five minutes before adding your ginger and garlic paste. Mix it through and allow it to cook for another five minutes.

Add your Rhodes chopped and peeled tomatoes, give it a quick stir, and cover the pot. Let it cook through on low heat for 30 minutes.

Cooking tip

You can adjust the curry paste with sugar and salt, as well as spices you’d use in your curry recipes, to infuse and make for an even tastier tomato base with minimal ingredients as you complete the rest of your curry.

Butter chicken curry

2 servings
Prep: 15 mins (plus additional 2hrs – overnight to allow chicken to marinate)
Cooking: 30 mins

Cube your chicken breast and marinate it in your yoghurt, chilli powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder and salt. It’s best to do this the night before, but at least two hours before cooking time will do.

Using a pot, heat your butter and olive oil on low heat.

Chop your onion and add it to your saucepan.

Sauté for five minutes before adding your chicken.

Using a wooden spoon, give it a quick mix through and cover your pot with your lid. Allow your chicken to cook over low heat for 15 minutes.

Add your Rhodes tomato curry base and cook for another five minutes.

Add your sugar, fresh cream and stir through, then remove from the heat, before garnishing with fresh, chopped coriander.

Cooking tip

Adding ¼ cup of raw cashew nuts is a yummy, tasty addition to your butter chicken. Omit the sugar and grind up your cashews into a paste to add a different kind of sweetness to your dish.

Instead of using yoghurt, you can also marinate your chicken in buttermilk for a silkier, smoother curry.

Paneer tikka masala

2 servings
Prep: 20 mins (plus additional 2hrs – overnight to allow for marinating)
Cooking: 40 mins

Cube your paneer (about 2cm x 2cm), fresh pepper and ¼ of your onion and marinate it in your yoghurt, chilli powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder and salt. It’s best to do this the night before, but at least two hours before cooking time will do.

After your paneer, peppers and onion has marinated for long enough, make up two skewers of your cheese and vegetables, scraping any excess marinade back into the bowl. Keep it aside – you’ll need it later.

Using a frying or grill pan, add 1 tbsp of butter and 1 tbsp of olive oil. Turn the heat up.

On high heat, sear your skewers. You want a good amount of caramelisation. Keep turning your skewers to sear each side, of your paneer specifically, but be careful not to completely burn your cheese.

Set your seared skeweres aside.

Using a pot, heat your remaining tbsps of butter and olive oil on low heat.

Chop your onion and add it to your pot.

Sauté for five minutes before adding your leftover marinade previously put aside. Allow to cook while removing your cheese, peppers and onions from the skewers, and adding them to the pot.

Make sure the heat is turned down, give your curry a quick mix through and add your Rhodes tomato curry base. With your heat on low, cover your curry and allow to cook for 10 minutes.

Add your sugar, fresh cream and stir through, then remove from the heat, before garnishing with fresh, chopped coriander.

Cooking tip

Add cashew nuts to you curry right at the end, to give it a bit of crunch and bite.

Durban lamb curry

2 servings
Prep: 15 minutes
Cooking: 1 hr 25 mins

Using a pot, heat your butter and olive oil.

Finely chop your onion and add it to your saucepan, along with your stick cinnamon, cardamom pod and star anise. Sauté on a low heat for 10 minutes until your onions are translucent.

Remove your whole spices and liquidise your onion. This step isn’t a must, but it makes for a thicker, heartier curry.

Add your liquidised onions back into the pot with your whole spices, along with all your other ground up spices. Temper on low for five minutes before adding your Rhodes tomato curry base, and cook for an additional five minutes.

Add your lamb pieces, stir it into your onion and spices, making sure it coats your meat. Cook on low for five minutes before adding your boiled water. Cover the pot and let it simmer for 30 minutes.

Peel and cut your potatoes in half lengthwise and add it to your curry. Close the lid once more and allow your curry to simmer for a further 30 minutes until your potatoes are cooked through and your meat is soft.

Serve with fresh, chopped coriander.

Cooking tip

If you decide not to liquidise your onions, make sure they’re chopped very fine to break down in your curry, and add a little less water.

This curry has a bit of heat, but you can also add a fresh chili sliced through the middle, if you prefer a spicier curry.